Automobile parking clock



Dec. 8, 1931. LARSSQN 1,835,065

AUTOMOBILE PARKING CLOCK Filed Aug. 8, 1930 mIlLllllll I III l lllllllilllllll Ill IIII].

Patented Dec. 8, 193

; UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Laase. masses, or ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY nuromomm PARKING ctoqx This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for checking the parking timeofautomobiles, and has more specifically reference to aparking clock of the above character for which a plication for patent was filed by me under erial Number 436,302 filed March 17, 1930; this presentinvention constituting further improvements upon the' said latter device. As the said improvements rather simplify the construction,

' there should be no increase in the cost of manufacturing.

\Vith the above and other objects in view,

this invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangements of parts, hereinafter fully described, claimedand illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification,

and in which Figure .1 is a crosssectional View of the preferred arrangement of my device, designed indicator to and from a elock mechanisrm The essential parts of the mechanism and l their function can be described as follows: 11 is an electromagnetic coil, operated by an automatic switch, the latter keepin' open the circuit of the said coil whenever t e car is at standstill. Whenthis condition exists flat-spring 12 will cause a counter-clock-wise motion of armature 13 mounted rotatively on 0st 32. This motion of the armature 13 will orce hollow shaft 14 toward the ri ht. Cogwheel 15 is rotatively supported Ey bearing plates 16 and 16' and is driven through gears 17 18 and 19 at a speed correspondin to the hours, the cog-wheel 19 being fastene to the hour shaft 20 of the clock mechanism. The

" part of the hollow shaft 14 passing through cog-wheel 15 is of quadrangular cross section so that the hollow shaft 14 will be driven .by the cogwheel 15 in either the right or left hand position of the said shaft. The left extremity of the said shaft is conically shaped and forms a seat for a correspondingly shaped part disposedin counter-weight 21 I A plication filed August 8,1930. Serial mi. 473,896.

to which the hour indicator 22 of my device is rigidly attached. Thus,-when the armature 13 is tilted counter-clockwise, due to the action of the flat-spring 12, the counter-eight 21 is firmly seated on the conical part of the hollow shaft 14; consequently the hour indicator of my device is' rotated around the dial at a speed corresponding to the hours.

hen, on the other hand, the motor vehicle is in motion; an automatic switch will close the circuit of the coil 11. lVhen the said coil is energized, it will'attract the armature 13 which in turn will push the hollow shaft 14 toward the left, thereby causing the disengagement of the counter-weight 21 from the conicab left-hand end-portion of the hollow shaft 14. The gravitational force acting upon the counter-weight 21 will then swing the hour indicator 22 fastened to the said counter-weight back to its zero position.

The connection and disconnection of the minute indicator of my device to and from the minute-shaft of the clock mechanism is effected in the following manner:

The collar 23 is permanently fastened to 7| the minute shaft 24 of the clock mechanism by means of aset-screw 25. The minute indicator itself is'rigidly attached to the counter-wei ht 26 which is provided with a recess 27, confined by the aforementioned collar 23 and by a cover 28, the latter being fastened 4 to the counter-weight 26 by means of the setscrew 29. The spring 30 mounted in the said recess 27. has a tendency to force the conically shaped ring 31 against its seat provided in the cover 28. Thus, while the comically shaped ring 31 is toward the right, the counter-weight 26 and the minute indicator 32 attached thereto are indirectly connected to the minute shaft of the clock mechanism, and are moved around the dial at a corres iondingspeed. This condition exists while the hollow shaft 14 is toward the right. TVhen, however, thesaid hollow shaft 14 is pushed toward the left,'due to the energizing of the coil 11, as already indicated, its left-hand face will force the conical ring 31 toward the left, thereby disconnecting the counter-weight 26 and the minute indicator 32 from the minute shaft 24 of the clock mechanism. The gravitational minute indicator 32 back to its zero position.

force acting upon the weight 26 will swing the Thus it is shown that my device will register the time while the coil 11 is deenergized, and-the two indicators will return to their zero position when the said coil is energized. As the action of the coil 11 is controlled by an automatic switch which is closed when the motor vehicle moves at a predetermined speed,

and is open while the car is at standstill, the

two indicators will register the time while the vehicle is parked.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, as shown, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the'invention, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the construction and arrangement shownand described herein.

\Vl1at I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A device for automatically registering the duration of time during which a motor vehicle is at standstill, comprising a hollow shaft capable of longitudinal movement, the

, said hollow shaft having a conical end-portion; a counter-weight with an hour indicator hand permanently attached thereto; a

conical seat arranged in the said counterweight, corresponding in shape to the conical endportion ofthe said hollow shaft; the aforementioned longitudinal movement of the hollow shaft connecting and disconnectin g mechanically the said counter-weight and hollow shaft to and from one another, depending 011 the direction of the above movement; the hour indicator hand of the device I being moved around a dial at a speed corresponding to the hours when the above described counter-weight and hollow shaft are coupled, and the counter-weight returning the hourindicator hand'to its zero position when the foregoing two elements are uncoupled.

2. A device for automatically registering the duration of time during which a motor vehicle is at standstill, comprising a clock mechanism; a counter-weight to which the minute hand of the said device is permanently fastened; the said counter-weight being proe vided with an upper recess confined by a collar attached to the minute indicator shaft of the said clock mechanism and by a cover provided with a conical seat; the former fastened to the counter-weight by means of a set. screw;

a'conical ring mounted around the minute 1 indicator shaft of the said clock mechanism and fitting into the conical seat provided in the cover of the recess;'a coil spring bearing against the aforementioned collar and pressing the conical ring against its seat provided in the cover confining the recess disposed in the said counter-weight, thereby friction connecting the counter-weight and the minute indicator fa'stenedthereto tothe min.-

ute indicator shaft of the clock mechanism.

3. A device for automatically registering the duration of time during which a motor vehicle is at standstill, comprising a clock mechanism, a hollow shaft capable of longitudinal movement caused by an electromagnetically operated lever; a counter-weight with the minute indicator hand of the device permanently fastened thereto, the said of the said spring and consequent disconnec-' tion of the counter-weight from the minute indicator shaft of the clock mechanism thereupon the gravitational force acting upon the said counter-weight swinging back the minute indicator hand of the device to its zero or starting position.

Signed at New York city, in'the county of New York and State of New York, this 12th day of July, A. D. 1930.

LARS G. LARSSON. 

